


Married at First Sight

by VisiblePetrichor



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, Drama, F/M, I Don't Even Know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2019-05-28 14:45:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15051452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisiblePetrichor/pseuds/VisiblePetrichor
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple recon job. They needed access to the penthouse floor of one of those fancy, high-security office blocks downtown. The building was hosting this weird experiment where so-called 'experts' try to find the perfect match for lonely people. A camera crew films them getting married and follows them around for a month as they try living together. Richie's plan involved Seth posing as an applicant, giving him access to the building for a week.They didn't bother creating a fake profile for him, because there was no way that he would ever be matched with anyone. Yet, here they are a few weeks later, and he's seconds away from marrying a complete stranger – his perfect match.The only thing he knows about her, is her name. Kate.





	1. Blind Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a one shot.

The weather today is really fucking perfect for a wedding. It's one of those days where the sun is out and shining but it's not too hot or too bright. There's this annoying breeze in the air that leaves you feeling refreshed and carries the smell of flowers wherever you go. 

It's perfect.

And Seth is fucking annoyed. 

He checks his wristwatch again. The bridal party is running an hour late. Richie ran off a while ago to find out what's taking so long and left Seth sitting in the front row like a chump. Maybe his luck turned, and she got cold feet and called the whole thing off. 

"The bride has arrived," Richie whispers to Seth, appearing out of nowhere. "Time to get up on that altar, Big Poppa."

Seth stands and re-adjusts his tie for the millionth time. Damn thing is trying to choke him death. Maybe he should let it. Then he can finally have the peace he can't seem to find in life. 

"Richie, this is a terrible idea. Call it off."

"Seth, we've been over this. All you need to do is suck it up and play house for a month. Piece of cake. Also, the bride is literally two minutes away from walking down that aisle."

"Richard," he starts but they're interrupted by one of the show producers. 

"Mr. Gecko, can we do a quick Q&A before the bride walks in?" Monica asks, pointing at the camera crew to the side.

"Yeah, sure," Seth relents. "Let's get this over with."

They ask a few questions about his feelings and expectations with marrying a stranger. He doesn't have to lie. He's nervous, obviously. He has no idea what to expect with his new bride, because who the fuck would do something like this and marry a stranger. 

Soon, Richie is clapping his hands on Seth's shoulders and directing him to the altar. 

"You got your balls on?" Richie asks, extending his hand to Seth. 

"Screwed on tight," Seth says, shaking Richie's hand in return. The gesture is familiar and helps settle his nerves. A little. He is marrying a stranger for Christ's sake. 

Richie steps back, taking his position as Seth's best man. They both turn to the door and wait for the bride to appear. 

Seth still cannot believe how Richie convinced him to do this. It was supposed to be a simple recon job. They needed access to the penthouse floor of one of those fancy, high-security office blocks downtown. The building was hosting this weird experiment where so-called 'experts' try to find the perfect match for lonely people. A camera crew films them getting married and follows them around for a month as they try living together. Richie's plan involved Seth posing as an applicant, giving him access to the building for a week. It took a lot of coaxing, but the score that Richie found - 30 mill for some antique amulet - was hard to ignore. 

They didn't bother creating a fake profile for him, because there was no way that he would ever be matched with anyone. Yet, here they are a few weeks later, and he's seconds away from marrying a complete stranger – his perfect match. 

The only thing he knows about her, is her name. Kate.

He tried desperately to stop this train-wreck from happening, but Richie convinced him that things worked out for the best. Apparently, this is a sure way for them to be able to keep track of the mark if things don't go according to plan. "Besides, Seth," Richie said, all nonchalant and smug after he got the call about Kate. "There is no way a decent, sane woman would stay with you anyway. 50 bucks says she breaks it off by the time you get back from your honeymoon."

The background music changes suddenly to the wedding march and all the guests turn towards the floral arch at the start of the aisle.

Seth's heart starts racing. This is not a good idea. There is no way that this is the best plan that they could come up with. They could easily start trailing the mark if things go sideways on their first attempt. How's he going to help Richie steal the amulet if he's tied up with the new ball and chain? 

Richie and his fucking plans. 

Seth spots Uncle Eddie seated in the front row. Eddie offers him a smile and a thumbs-up. He and Richie have been annoyingly excited about this. It started with them placing bets on what Kate would be like. "Kid, you know we're screwing with you, yeah?" Eddie asked after Seth nearly beat the shit out of Richie for suggesting Kate is Vanessa in disguise. "You gotta ease up, Seth. Richie has this covered. It's a good score. So, you gotta play make-believe for a bit. You're a pro. You'll be fine." 

In the corner of his eye, Seth sees the blinding white dress and he thinks that he's about to hyperventilate. 

Fuck. He should’ve had more to drink.

"Just breathe, Seth," Richie leans in to whisper to him. "Don't forget. 30 mill, brother."

Kate is hidden beneath a long, white veil, so he can't really see her face and know what her first impression of him is. Her dad, however, who he assumes is the man wearing the major scowl as he walks Kate down the aisle, does not seem impressed with Seth. Seriously, the scowl seems to be deepening the further they make it down the aisle. How is that even possible? 

Seth adjusts his shirt collar to give himself something to do. God, why is it so hot in here?

Her dad unfurls then lovingly re-adjusts Kate's veil before giving her a kiss on the cheek. Kate turns towards Seth and he finally gets to see her. She's smiling widely at him, all bright eyes and flushed cheeks. 

She's beautiful. 

"Hi. I'm Kate," she says, offering her hand in greeting. 

"Seth," he croaks, mouth suddenly dry. He hears Richie cough to hide a laugh behind him while Seth clears his throat and tries again. "It's Seth."

"Nice to meet you, Seth," she says with a laugh. Kate leans in towards him and she crooks her finger for him to follow. "You ready to get hitched?" she whispers sneakily. It's unexpected and he laughs out loud without meaning to. He's lucky she's talking because the speech part of his brain seems to have malfunctioned. 

They turn toward the officiant as she starts her welcome. He tries his best to pay attention, but he catches Kate stealing glances at him through most of the speech and blessings. It's clear that she cannot believe that this is happening either. Before the vows, the officiant asks them to turn towards each other and hold hands. 

"I think you're shaking as much as I am," Kate says, placing her hands in his. He grunts in agreement because the lump in his throat still won't let him say anything. This is such a dumb idea. Kate squeezes his hands gently, offers him an encouraging smile, and says, "Don't worry. We'll get through this together." Having something to hold onto seems to steady him and keep him grounded. Miraculously, they make it through the vows without incident. 

Their first kiss is... well, awkward. They both lean in the same direction and almost bump heads. The guests laugh at their antics and Kate blushes with embarrassment. 

To save them both, Seth lifts Kate's chin and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek. Kate is smiling softly when he pulls away and mouths a quiet 'thank you'. She seems embarrassed to look him straight in the eye. God, if that was her first kiss with a boy, he’s going to kill himself.

"Come on, Kid. Give her a real smooch," Eddie yells at him, and this gets the crowd going. They cheer some variation of 'kiss her' and they don't seem to be letting up. Seth steals a glance at Kate's dad, who is scowling so hard that Seth is sure he might be having a stroke. He turns back to Kate to tell her not to listen to them, but all he sees is a flash of white teeth before Kate grabs him by his lapels, pulls him toward her and plants one on him. Yeah, definitely not her first kiss. 

The cheers from the crowd is deafening. 

Before he knows what is happening, the ceremony is over, and he and Kate are making their way back down the aisle. The producers quickly move them outside to have photos taken, while the guests make their way to the reception hall. 

"Oh shit," Kate exclaims, when the photographer takes a walk around the estate to find a perfect place for photos. He realises that they're finally alone. Alone with his new wife. "Can you believe we did that? I'm a wife. I'm your wife," she says pointing at him. "Did that just happen?" 

"Easy there, Princess," he jokes. But then she's leaning against the wall, struggling to take deep breaths.

"Kate, are you okay?"

"I'm okay," she says, trying to wave him off. 

"Do you want some water?" he asks, genuinely concerned. It never occurred to him before now that she would also be freaking out about this.

"I'm fine. Truly. I think I forgot how to breath for a second," she jokes. 

She's not a convincing liar. 

"Okay, but if it happens again," he says, leading her to sit on a nearby bench. "I want you to inhale for 3 counts, hold for 6 and exhale for 8, okay?"

"O... Okay," she stutters. "Thanks. I'll try to remember that." She's finally looking up at him. She has bright, green eyes and he thinks he sees a hint of freckles. 

"Yeah," he says, clearing his throat and turning away from her, suddenly feeling the shame of pulling a con on a sweet girl. "Richie used to hyperventilate a lot when we were kids."

"Richie?" she asks for clarification. 

"Richie's my brother."

"Was he your best man?" she asks, leaning over to try to sneak a peek back into the hall. "He's cute."

"Already stepping out on me, Princess?" he teases. 

"Why? Is Richie single?" she retorts, trying to hide her smile from him. Damn, she's quick. It's too bad she can't keep a straight face. She must be terrible at poker.

"Mr. And Mrs. Gecko, we're ready for you." The photographer's assistant calls them over to where Lalo, the photographer, has set up. 

"Mrs. Gecko. I'm Mrs. Gecko." She turns to him, eyes wide and says, "We just got married. This is crazy."

"Don't hyperventilate on me again, Princess," he teases.

"No," she says, scrunching her nose and shaking her head. "I don't like 'Princess'."

"Have you seen yourself in a mirror today?" he asks honestly. "I'm half expecting the royal guard to swoop in and take you back to Buckingham Palace."

"Oh yeah, because you look like such a penniless drifter," she says. She reaches over to re-adjust his tie and pat down his collar. "Come on, Prince Charming," she says, grabbing his hand and pulling him up from the bench. "Photo time."

Taking the wedding photos goes easily enough. When things get awkward - usually because Lalo wants them to hold each other intimately - Kate grabs and squeezes his hand before giving him a quick peck on the lips. It’s almost always followed by Kate blushing from head to toe and trying to hide her laugh. It's clear that the entire crew finds her completely charming; she's like a human embodiment of happiness.

The rest of the day goes by in a flash. Kate only steps on his toes once during their first dance together, the food at the reception is delicious, and his first conversation with his father- and brother-in-law is only extremely awkward instead of extremely terrifying. "That's my daughter you have there, Seth," Jacob said while shaking his hand slowly and purposefully. Seth, luckily, cuts him short by pretending to save Kate from another dance with Richie. Even the speeches are surprisingly appropriate. Kate's bridesmaid gets a little teary-eyed talking about Kate's generous and kind nature. Richie keeps it short and sweet with some spiel about how Seth comes across as a grizzly bear, but he's fiercely protective of those he loves. He finishes his speech with some extremely corny line about how the Los Hermanos Gecko are now Los Tres Geckos. The crowd eats it up. 

He and Kate spend a lot of the night together, she's either at his side or a few steps away, but there isn't much time to talk. He does find out a few details - that she's from Bethel, but she's working as a teacher in city. He finds out that Jacob's a Pastor from Scott. He semi-lies to her about working in Eddie's auto-repair shop. He doesn't ask about her mom and she doesn't ask about his folks. 

Nothing helps him figure out why they got matched up together. She's clearly a sweet girl and he's going to ruin her chance to find love.

Fucking so-called experts.


	2. The Honeymoon

His first night – his wedding night - with Kate was nothing he could have imagined. 

He woke to a scream in the middle of the night and found Kate on the floor. She woke up a little disorientated, forgot where she was and that he was in bed with her, and fell off and hit her head on the nightstand. When he got up to help her, he got fucking stabbed in the foot by the hill of Kate's shoe. She had a nasty cut above her eye and she wouldn't let him treat it. He tried to convince her to stay awake in case she had a concussion, but Kate refused and went straight to sleep. So, he got up at various times during the night to check that she was still alive and got an intimate view of the bruise forming above her eye. Not exactly the injuries you'd expect from your wedding night.

The film crew knocks on their hotel door before the sun's fully up, for some Q&A footage before their flight. Seth stumbles out of bed as Kate throws the duvet over her head and groans a barely audible 'no'. It leaves him chuckling as he answers the door and gets the TV crew to agree to wait outside until Kate's more awake. 

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," he whispers, leaning over the bed to wake her. "Rise and shine. The film crew is here."

She rolls away from him and answers with another groan. 

"How are you feeling?" he asks, trying to pry the covers out of her hands. "Let me see that head of yours."

She rolls back towards him, groaning again, so that he can take a look at her bruised eye. "It's not that swollen, but it's still red," he tells her, accidentally touching her bruise. 

"Aahh," she cries and flinches away from him. 

"Shit. Sorry. It looks like I hit you." He realises how close he is to her – seeing the little speck of brown in her green eyes – and he takes a step back from the bed.

"I'm sure it doesn't look that bad," she says, grabbing her phone to see her reflection. She doesn’t seem to notice his discomfort at all. "Yikes," she says with a frown while looking at her eye from various angles. 

"You think we could convince anyone that this was a sex injury?" he half jokes. He doesn't like the look of that bruise, and with the TV crew right outside… he can't afford cops sniffing around him right now.

"No one will think that you hit me. Don't be dramatic." She brushes him off and finally gets out of bed. "Besides, Seth, I would beat you in your sleep if you tried anything like that," she says smugly, but then she touches the bruise by mistake and groans again - losing all her smug credibility.

"You'd literally kick a man when he's down, huh, Kate?" he asks as she heads to the bathroom. 

She turns back toward him, and with a smug grin asks, "Why? You scared, Mr Gecko?" 

"Of you, Princess? Terrified."

The crew films scenes of them eating breakfast and packing up and asks them questions about the wedding reception and the wedding night. Kate explains the bruised eye in a manner that leaves everyone in stitches and makes Seth look like a hero. "I know he looks very intimidating with all his big muscles, but he is a real sweetheart," she says, poking him in the cheek then laughing. "It's really cute." 

"Hold up. I have never been cute, Princess," he says in his defence. 

"Okay, Johnny Bravo," she says, as she playfully pinched his bicep. He’s not happy with anyone mistaking him for being ‘cute’ but at least everyone seems at ease and Seth can breathe a sigh of relief.

In no time, they've landed at their honeymoon destination and are in a car driving to their log-cabin in Yellowstone National Park. It's scenic, beautiful, and very, annoyingly romantic. Their honeymoon is mostly them driving around the park and seeing sights that take their breath away. He and Kate spend most of their time outside, going for hikes and talking. Yup, nothing like his first honeymoon with Vanessa.

Kate, to his surprise, is nothing like he expects. Yes, she's sweet and generous, but she also has a quick wit and surprisingly wicked sense of humour. She's easy to tease and gives as good as she gets. When the cameras are off and they're alone, she starts opening up about her life - growing up in a small town with her dad as the pastor, Scott’s adoption, and her mom's car accident. He didn't expect her to be this honest and sincere so soon. It puts him at ease and he finds himself sharing real stories from his past - his mom leaving, dad dying in the house fire, Eddie, a little about Vanessa. Not everything; there's a lot about him that she never has to know – such as his more criminally related endeavours.

He honestly couldn’t understand how someone like her could be single and need to be set up like this. Then she tells him about some of her dumb exes. Her last relationship was with some dipshit named Rafael, who dumped Kate because 'she was someone to marry' and he 'wasn't ready for that level of commitment'. Fucking moron. 

The real kicker that has him second-guessing their match: Kate is a complete dork. She takes photos of everything, even if all they've seen for the past hour is tall trees. She pulls silly faces when she takes selfies of them. And on the long drives, she sings along loudly to the songs on the radio, even when she doesn't know the words. He will never forget the look on her face when she made awkward sounds instead of saying the litany of swear words in one of the hip-hop songs she tried to rap. He laughs at her for the rest of the day. 

It's so obvious to him how amazing Kate is. He wakes up every morning thinking that she's finally going to realise that he's a piece of shit and leave. He confessed as much on his call to Richie to find out if he managed to steal the amulet yet. Richie doesn't understand and says he's being a dummy. Apparently, the reason she hasn't left yet is because they're literally in the honeymoon phase. 

Richie quickly tells him that he and Eddie have decided that Seth needs to hang ten with Kate for the rest of the job. Some bullshit about how Seth always tries to take over everything, and it's Richie's score anyway. Damn coward hangs up immediately afterwards. 

Richie's follow-up texts are just as encouraging.

[15:30]: I already have a team in place to search the office building again, because the amulet definitely wasn't in Malvado's house. Lucky for us, you and the Mrs. are getting along. 

[15:55]: Also, you don't have some magic dick, Brother. 

[16:05]: Seth, you don't have be an asshole on purpose to Kate. She's not going to magically fall in love with you. Give it a few days. Mother Theresa herself wouldn't survive a week of living with you.

Easy for him to say. Richie’s not here. Kate keeps looking for ways to touch him: holding his hand and giving him hugs while they walk through the park. He shouldn't be surprised, he does have a handsome mug and it is technically their honeymoon. He obviously plays along; he's not a monster. He waits for her to initiate because he doesn't want to lead her on. Occasionally, he puts his hand on the small of her back when she gets distracted or grabs her hand when they're in a large crowd - but that's out of necessity. 

He was hoping that having a film crew around would diminish their ability to be intimate, but the crew is not around as much. When they are around, they film from a distance except when they need to do one-on-one interviews, and they leave pretty early at night.

On the second night, after he had more to drink than planned, they end up playing a little tongue-hockey in front of the fire place. He got a little carried away, with his fingers finding her soft skin underneath her shirt. If he's honest, it's easy to get lost in Kate - his hands in her hair, her lips on his neck, her teeth scrapping along his jawline. He managed to stop before things got past PG-13, but he's since been extra weary of keeping the kisses chaste. 

He's been successful so far, mostly because they're both too tired at night to do anything but fall asleep immediately. But tonight, their last night on the honeymoon, Kate is getting ready to try out the hot tub and Seth's will power is hanging by a thread. 

She walks out of the bedroom in a yellow-striped bikini. Naturally, he glances at her ass as she strolls past - he's still a man after all. She catches him looking, turns around to walk backwards and says teasingly, "You should take a picture. It'll last longer." The second she steps on the porch, she screeches and basically runs into the already bubbling hot tub. "Seth, come on in. The water's fine," she calls once she's settled. She's teasing him about something he said yesterday - she doesn't let him live anything down. 

"Seth, are you really not joining me?" she asks. "It's our last night here." 

"I don't like hot tubs," he answers, drying the last of the dishes from dinner. He's lying, obviously. But there is no way that getting into a hot tub with a scantily-clad Kate is going to end well for him.

"Please?" she pleads.

"You enjoy yourself, Princess."

"God, you are so stubborn," she says with a giant pout on her face.

"Yeah, because you're definitely not trying to get your way here," he says sarcastically. 

"Fine. Name your price," she says, leaning over the hot tub to try to stare him into submission. It's funny that she thinks he's the stubborn one. 

"Can't take 'no' for an answer, huh," he mumbles.

"What was that?" she asks loudly over the sounds of the bubbles.

"Trying to get me half-naked and vulnerable, Fuller?" he asks her. 

"I am trying to get you to spend time with me on the last night of our honeymoon," she pleads.

"So stubborn," he teases. 

"Fine. Don't join me," she says, now frowning. "We have to be up early, anyway. I should probably get out." 

He's sure that she's bluffing until he hears the bubbles stop. He feels like an ass. He is being stubborn and it is their last night here. "Five minutes, and not a minute more," he relents. "Okay, Princess?" She instantly starts grinning and he wonders if he's been duped. He gets changed anyway, because he's a man of his word. 

"So, has it been a good honeymoon?" Kate asks when he finally slides into the hot tub opposite her.

"It's been fun,” he answers honestly. “Nothing like my first one."

"Yeah? Did you know Vanessa for more than 24 hours beforehand?" she teases. 

"That's generally what happens, yes." He can’t help smiling back when she smiles at him. God, when did he become such a sap? 

"You never told me what happened with your ex-wife," Kate asks.

He tries to keep the story short, but like all things to do with Vanessa, things get increasingly out of hand. When he finishes telling her about the scene where Vanessa is wrecking his Corvette outside the Kahuna Burger, he looks up and finds Kate sitting right next to him - his hand already in hers. 

"Kate, did you ask me about Vanessa to get me into a vulnerable state and take advantage of me?" He’s teasing her, but he’s also realising that Kate can be sneaky. And he needs to start paying more attention to her. 

"What? No," she protests. "Who would do something like that?"

"Vanessa. That's what I'm trying to tell you."

"Forget it," she says, dropping his hand and shifting away from him.

"Hey," he says, stopping her instinctively. It's clear that she's upset, but he's not sure why. He lifts her chin when she won't look him in the eye. 

"It's getting late," she says, softly. "We should probably get out."

"Kate, come on," he says with a laugh because he can't believe she's leaving already. "You wanted me in here and now you're leaving?"

"I'm tired, Seth," she says, pulling away from him and trying to get out of the hot tub.

"Hey," he says, pulling her back to sit next to him. "No, you're not. What is going on with you?"

"I don't," she starts with a sigh, but quickly goes silent.

"Kate."

"I don't get it, okay," she says loudly. 

"Get what?" 

"You. You, Seth," she exclaims. "I thought that we were having fun together. I am, but I thought that you were too." 

"I am having fun," he says honestly. Kate makes everything fun. He sometimes can't believe that he's only known her for a few days.

"So, I'm the problem," she says, quietly. 

"What problem? Kate, what are you talking about?"

"You've been distant since we started this."

"Distant?" he asks. Gun to his head, he has no idea what the hell is happening here. 

"Seth, don't do that. I'm not making this up. You don't want to be here with me."

"What? Come on, Kate. That is not true." He didn't want to lead her on, but he hasn't been distant. Well, not distant enough that she should’ve noticed.

"I know what this is supposed to feel like," she says with a wave between them. "Spending time together. Getting to know each other. Kissing..."

"You criticising my technique, Princess?" he jokes. He is trying to ease the tension, to get back to the easy banter they've shared since he first met her. She isn't reciprocating. 

"Fine, okay," he pleads. "I'm sorry. It's just..." he pauses, because what does he honestly say here? He has been keeping her at arm’s length, but it's not because of her and he can't honestly tell her why either. "Haven't you wondered how we got matched together?" he asks, settling on telling the part of the truth that he can be completely honest about. "Because it makes no sense to me. We have nothing in common, Kate."

"We have things in common," she replies quickly. He's surprised at her response, but at least she's looking him in the eye now and not trying to leave. 

"No, we don't," he asserts. 

"That is not true, Seth. So, what if I can't do a push-up and you do like fifty every morning. Or that I don't understand your movie references. And how you watch all those old-timey movies but you haven't seen Alien?"

"I can do Temple of Doom. But Crystal Skull, I'm out," he mumbles. He’s married to a sci-fi nerd.

"I don't know what that means, but that's not the point. The point is, who cares. Seth, that's not what matters anyway. My family is the most important thing in my life, and from what I can tell, it's the same for you. I'd do anything for Scott, and I think that you would for Richie too."

"Well, your dad's not a deadbeat and your mom's not a deserter," he mumbles. How can she think that she's anything like him?

"It's not a competition, Seth," she says, softly. She brings her knees towards her chest, like she's trying to create a physical barrier between them. Since he's met Kate, it's been nothing but fun, witty banter and her bright smiles. He's never seen her look so small and vulnerable. It feels like a punch to the gut. 

"Kate, I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago," she says, shaking her head.

He forgot that her mom died a few years ago and, from what she's told him, she's not completely over it. "No, not that. I mean, yes, I'm sorry about that too, but..." And now he's fucking stuttering like a toddler. He takes Kate's hand and starts stroking her knuckles, because he doesn't know what else to do. 

He takes a breath and tilts his head to catch her eye. "I know I don't make this easy on you," he admits easily. "Thanks for putting up with my shit."

She thankfully looks up at him, small smile on her lips. "So, you've just been worried that the experts made a mistake? That it's not going to work out with us anyway, so what's the point?" she asks.

"Yeah. Aren't you?"

"Seth, I know that other people are the reason we met, but we get to decide whether we have something here. No one else." She moves closer towards him and shifts their hands so that her fingers are intertwined with his.

He doesn't know what to say to her. Richie expects him to keep up this charade of a relationship, but here she is giving him a clear chance to get out clean. He's close enough to her that, even in the dim light, he can see the scar from where she hit her head the other night. "The bruise healed nicely," he says to buy time, lifting his hand to carefully caress above her eye. 

"Seth," she says tugging on his hand to get him to look at her. "Don't deflect. If you don't want to do this with me, then say so. I'm a big girl. I can handle rejection."

He can't wrap his head around the idea of someone rejecting Kate. He's obviously not suited to her, regardless of what the experts think, but he can wait for her to figure that out and leave. "Only an idiot would reject you, Kate."

He slowly leans over and kisses her softly - more lips touching than anything else. He untangles his hand from hers and slides his fingers up her arm and into her hair. God, her hair is so soft. He loves touching her hair. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him closer. He's not sitting comfortably, but then Kate climbs onto his lap, slides over his groin and fucking moans. It would take a gun to his balls for him to consider moving. 

They’re kissing like fucking horny teenagers. His hands are everywhere - searching for any soft, uncovered skin - until he finally settles on his hands on her ass. She scrapes her fingernails down the length of his spine. It makes him flinch and unseat Kate, almost causing him to slip off his seat completely. Fucking slippery hot tub. Kate covers her mouth to hide her laugh from him, but her attempt is futile. He retaliates by splashing her in the face with water. She looks at him in shock, but quickly starts splashes him relentlessly. 

"Okay, okay. I give up," he says grabbing her hands to stop her from splashing. 

Kate is still laughing as she moves to sit next to him again, her hand finding her way in his. This entire evening feels like a scene from one of those rom-coms that he hates. How did that happen?

She's stroking his palm lightly when she asks, "Are you sure about this, Seth? I won't be mad if you want out."

He starts to answer but pauses. "What do you want, Kate?" he asks.

"I...I..." she stutters.

"Yeah?" he encourages her to continue. He wants to hear her say what she wants - that she wants him.

"I think we have fun together," she starts slowly. "If you're willing to try, then so am I. We have to try, right?"

He pauses, like he's contemplating her words. He doesn't know why he keeps giving her shit, even though she's clearly uncomfortable waiting for him to respond. 

They're definitely not going to last the entire month. 

He slowly looks her up and down, and smirks when he sees her bite her lip. "Yeah. Let's try," he finally answers with a nod. 

The smile she gives him in return could stop traffic.


	3. Domestic Bliss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not entirely happy with this chapter, but if I don't get it out of the way, I'll be tweaking it for the rest of my life. Haven't had a chance to respond to comments, but thanks for reading.

Seth forgot how much he hates living with a woman. Their hair gets everywhere and clogs everything. He's always stepping on the wrong end of a shoe, picking up clothing they leave all over the house, and he can never find his toothpaste in between all the toiletries. Kate goes to sleep with layers of clothing because she's cold, becomes a furnace during the night so she has to strip everything off, and spends the morning rummaging between the sheets trying to find a lost sock. Every. Damn. Morning.  
   
He shouldn't complain. Kate is amazing - literally the most thoughtful person in the world. For their one-week anniversary, she had burgers from Seth's favourite joint delivered to Eddie's shop over lunch. Seth obviously didn't think to do anything for her, so Eddie and Richie convinced him to surprise her at the school with flowers. He walked through the entire school looking for Kate. The TV crew showed up because Richie thought this would be 'a cute TV moment'. When Seth finds Kate on the field, she was trying her hand at coaching the girl's touch football team. Apparently, the school had budget cuts, so the teachers are picking up extra jobs. Kate is obviously surprised, blushing as she walks over to him. She gives him a quick kiss, but everyone sees and all the kids on the field start cheering. The show producers are giving them the thumbs up. Richie was right – perfect TV moment. Paloma asks Seth to stick around while they film some shots of Kate trying her best as coach. She's not particularly good, and she quickly gets help in the form of her cocky, dumbass ex, Rafael. Having him around annoys Seth to no end. Long story short, Seth is now Kate's assistant coach to the junior girl's touch football team.  
   
It's lucky that he's fond of Kate, because he hasn't spent this much time with a stranger without wanting to beat their face in. Kate seems to like him too, which makes things complicated. It's the hardest at night, when she cozies up to him and wraps his arm around her while she’s trying to get comfortable. Somehow her lips find their way to his neck or his fingers find exposed skin at her hip. He tries not be dismissive of her touches and caresses, and he has to remind himself that this is a short-term arrangement before they both get carried away. Kate always tries to reassure him afterwards. She plays it off that he's nervous when he suddenly stops in the middle of heavy petting, and he lets her think that. He's learning that she always tries to see the good in people.  
   
They've settled into normal life quickly. He promised her during the honeymoon that he'd try, so he's giving the best damn performance of his life. Seth mother fucking Gecko: husband of the year. He's home on time or taking her on little dates, instead of hanging out at Eddies or offering help to an ungrateful Richie. He finds himself talking about her constantly, texting her when he hasn't heard from her in a while, and actually wanting to see her at the end of the day. She sends him videos of scenes she's recorded of the tv-shows that she wants him to watch with her. It's always either out of focus or the shot keeps shaking because she always laughs at the jokes. It's fucking scary how quickly having her around feels normal to him.  
   
He needs this job to be over sooner rather than later.  
   
The worst thing about being married to Kate, the absolute worst thing, is that he now has a front-row seat to all the weirdo-creeps who try to hit on her. Sometimes in front of him.  
   
Today, they're at the store buying supplies for the friends and family dinner they're hosting. There's a dirty creeper who's been following them since the parking lot. Luckily, they've got everything on the list and can head out of the store soon. They join a random queue, and Kate smiles as she checks her beeping phone. "Richie said to tell you that he's bringing your favourite game. What does that mean?"  
   
He has no idea when Richie and Kate started texting each other. He can't say he's over the moon about it. "Richie's an idiot. Don't listen to him."  
   
"Seth, we forgot the mushrooms you want for your dish and the soda you wanted," Kate says, rummaging through the cart. "Can you grab that while I get that soda? I'll meet you at the checkout?"  
   
"Yeah, sure," he says turning around to leave, before he spots the creeper leering at Kate from one of the aisles. "Hey. Why don't we go together?"  
   
"Why?" she asks, still busy on her phone. "The mushrooms are on the other side of store and the soda is right here?"  
   
He leans in towards her and whispers, "There's a weirdo who's been watching you since the parking lot."  
   
"Six foot four? Greasy blonde hair? Looks like his outfit is from a B-Grade 80s horror movie?" she asks in return.  
   
"Who wears that much leather in the summer?" he mumbles. He had no idea she was even aware they were being followed.  
   
"I noticed him a while ago," she says softly. "But I didn't know he's been following us from the parking lot."  
   
"Following you," he corrects her. "Now, come on. I'm not leaving you alone with Leatherface lurking around."  
   
"We're in a grocery store, Seth. I'll be fine," she says with a roll of her eyes.  
   
"Kate, I don't like the look of him."  
   
"Seth, you're being dramatic," she says, putting a hand on his arm to try to placate him. "We're in a public place. You don't know that he's going to do anything. He could just be looking."  
   
"In my experience, Princess, weirdos only stick to looking because the hero steps in in the nick of time."  
   
Kate turns to him while trying to suppress a smile. "Are you the hero in this scenario, Johnny Bravo?"  
   
"You need to stop calling me Johnny Bravo."  
   
"If the t-shirt fits," she retorts, pinching his bicep.  
   
"If the t-shirt fits," he mocks her in return. "Now, can we go get the mushrooms, please?"  
   
"Seth, you have to give people the opportunity to be better. Besides, he's just looking, which isn't illegal. I'll be fine. Go."  
   
"God, you are stubborn," he mumbles.  
   
When he turns to leave, she grabs his arm and tugs him back towards her. She gives him a quick kiss on the cheek and surprisingly slaps his ass. "You are stubborn. Now, go," she says, grinning widely.  
   
He's not sure how she does it, but he never stays annoyed with her for long.  
   
He's gone for literally fucking two minutes. When he finds Kate in the checkout line, Sir Creeps-Alot has made his move and is busy trying to chat her up. She tries her best to rebuff him, giving him a tight smile and decisively inching away from him. Douchebag steps closer toward her and dares to place his hand on her arm. Seth sees red. He rushes towards them, intent on ending this shit once and for all.  
   
Kate catches his eye and her fake smile drops. Her eyes go wide and she shakes her head so slightly that he almost misses it. He only makes him madder - even at a time like this, she's thinking about everyone else but herself.  
   
She pulls out one of the sodas and a bag of chips from the cart, drops the chips on the floor and when the weirdo obviously goes to pick it up for her, she spills some of the soda over his greasy, dirty-blonde head.  
   
It stops Seth dead in his tracks.  
   
She makes a big show of looking shocked and embarrassed, and Mr. Creep high-tails it probably to save his bruised ego.  
   
Seth hears Kate say something like, "Chivalry is dead now," when he finally reaches her.  
   
"What happened to 'You give people a chance to be better'?" he teases.  
   
"I did," she answers, smug smile on her lips as she takes a sip of her drink. "If they choose not to be better, you don't need to get mad, but you can get even."  
   
"I don't remember that bit in the Old Testament," he says, proudly. She never fails to surprise him. If they weren't already married, he'd probably propose.  
   
They make it back to the apartment quickly and he gets started on the food while Kate bakes her apparently famous 3-layer chocolate cake.  
   
Seth is still busy with dinner when the guests start arriving. Kate's bridesmaid, Jess, arrives early to help set up - she even brings balloons and streamers to 'jazz up' the place for the party. Eddie and Richie show up as Jess and Kate finish decorating the cake. Kate's apartment is small and seems smaller with all the added bodies - including the mandatory film crew. Seth keeps bumping into furniture or a person. Luckily, everyone seems to be getting along. A rag-tag bunch of ramblers.  
   
With the Fullers running late driving from Bethel, Kate ducks into the bedroom to give Scott a call. Seth uses the free moment to get Richie alone on the balcony.  
   
"So, you and the Missus seem to be getting along?" Richie asks with a smile as he takes a sip of his beer. God, has his smile always looked so smug?  
   
"Cut the crap, Richie. When's the job going down?" He won't admit it, but Seth is still annoyed that Richie is keeping him out of the job and that he has no idea how things are going.  
   
"Soon, Seth," Richie says with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I have it covered."  
   
"Oh, do you now? Like you had it covered on your botched first attempt?"  
   
"Who was meant to check there wasn't a safe in Malvado's office, huh?"  
   
"I did check," Seth answers. "Whatever. Will you let me help you so we can get this job done quickly? This has gone on long enough."  
   
"What's your rush anyway?" Richie asks with a confused frown. "I thought that you and Mrs Gecko were getting along."  
   
"We are getting along. You owe me 50 by the way. Pay up."  
   
Richie makes a big show of pulling a 50 out of his wallet and handing it over to Seth. He pulls the bill back at the last minute. "Another week? Double or nothing?" Richie asks.  
   
Seth huffs and grabs the money before Richie changes his mind again.  
   
"Fine, Seth. Whatever you want," Richie says, hands up in surrender. "I have a solid plan. We'll get the amulet. All you need to do is just continue playing house with Kate."  
   
"Easy for you to say," Seth mumbles.  
   
"Are you seriously complaining?" Richie asks. "You get to sit on your ass while I do all the hard work. You can even help yourself to some Katie-cakes for dessert."  
   
"Hey, don't call her that."  
   
"Wait, you two haven't?" Richie asks, waving his finger at Seth annoyingly.  
   
"No, Richard," he says quickly, swotting Richie's finger out of his face. He's only known Kate for a few days. What does he take him for? He's a bastard but he's not a fucking bastard.  
   
"Why, Seth?" Richie asks. Smug smile back in place. "What happened to your male proclivities?"  
   
"She's not that kind of girl, okay."  
   
"Not that... Seth. What the hell has gotten into you? You're getting all wound up over some skirt."  
   
"Drop it. I mean it, Richie."  
   
"Fine. But if you're not having a piece, can I?"  
   
He knows that Richie is only joking, but this entire job - the pretending with Kate, having her think they're in a real relationship - it has Seth coming out of his skin. Without a second thought, he is shoving Richie against the wall, Seth's hands wrapping around his neck.  
   
"What the fuck, Seth," Richie yells, trying to shove Seth off of him. "I was kidding. Jesus."  
   
Seth releases his grip on Richie. He takes a step to the balcony bannister, trying to calm the fuck down.  
   
"I haven't seen you this worked up since... Holy Shit."  
   
"Just. Stop talking about her, okay?" Seth interrupts, ignoring Richie's sudden change in tone.  
   
"You like Kate," Richie says, smugly.  
   
"Of course, I like Kate," he says honestly. He does. What's not to like. "She's a sweet kid."  
   
"No, Seth. You like her, like her. Like falling in love, like her."  
   
"I do not like her."  
   
"You keep telling yourself that, Big Poppa," Richie says, dusting off his shirt and coming to stand next to Seth at the bannister.  
   
"Shut up, Richard."  
   
"Jesus, Seth. Why aren't you happy about this? You like her. She obviously likes you. And, what do you know, you're already married."  
   
"Yeah, and when this job is over, we all go back to our normal lives and Kate suffers another failed relationship. She doesn't deserve that."  
   
"Then don't break up," Richie states simply.  
   
"What?" Seth asks, confused. Has Richie lost all sense of reality? He’s being crazy.  
   
"Seth, if everything goes according to plan, no one will ever trace the job back to us. Kate never has to know."  
   
"Oh yeah, Genius. How do I explain suddenly being 30mill richer?"  
   
"The lotto. Say some unknown, rich uncle died. I don't know, Seth. We'll think of something."  
   
Of course, Richie doesn't understand. He always makes these grand plans in his head and can't understand when things don't go his way and other people don't do what he thinks they will.  
   
"Look," Richie continues. "You're going about this all wrong, Brother. You getting matched up with Kate could be the best thing that ever happened to you. So, for once in your life, will you just shut up and enjoy this?"  
   
"Whatever."  
   
"Seth, I'm serious. With 30 mill, we never have to pull another job again. You can get out."  
   
Seth huffs. "You know what Uncle Eddie says. People like us, we never get out."  
   
"You're honestly telling me that you wouldn't at least try. For Kate?"  
   
Richie's words run around in his brain for the rest of the afternoon. Richie's gone crazy. It'll never work between him and Kate because she doesn't belong here. Why is he the only person who seems to understand this?  
   
Scott finally shows up without Jacob. Apparently, Pastor Fuller is feeling a little under the weather. Seth won't shoot a gift horse in the mouth - he's been actively trying to spend the least amount of time with his father in-law. They haven't really spoken to each other since the wedding, even though Kate frequently calls home. He knows that Kate's been looking forward to having everyone together. A little while after Scott arrives, she disappears into the bedroom. He waits until the film crew is distracted before he follows her - sure that she's hiding because she's bummed about Jacob.  
   
She's turned away from the door as he enters the bedroom.  
   
"Kate, are you okay?" he asks.  
   
"It's so stupid," she says, while sniffing and trying to hide the fact that she's been crying. 

"Hey, it's not stupid," he says, slowly walking towards her.  
   
"Is Jacob okay?" he asks, when she doesn't respond.  
   
"Scott says he sick," she answers with a sniffle.  
   
"Yeah... I know that. But I thought you spoke to Jacob or something?"  
   
"No. I just..." She stops when fresh tears appear in her eyes.  
   
Fuck.  
   
"Kate, honey. Talk to me," he says, taking her hand and leading her to sit on the bed as he kneels in front of her.  
   
"He wasn't very happy about this, Seth," she says softly. "The experiment. The show. He wasn't on board. Not for a second. But I was so sure that when he saw that I was happy that he would see this wasn't a mistake."  
   
"You think that he's lying about being sick?"  
   
"Truthfully? I don't know."  
   
"Then call him," he suggests. It's obvious that Jacob loves his kids. There's no way he wouldn't be here if he knew how upset Kate is.  
   
"No, Seth," she says, shaking her head. "I don't want to call him. He'll just get upset."  
   
"Kate, you won't know unless you speak to him. He could just be sick. Call him."  
   
"I don't want to, okay," she yells while suddenly standing and causing him to fall back on his ass. "I'm sorry, but you need to drop it," she says quickly before running off.  
   
Seth does not know what just happened. He can't seem to figure Kate out. On the honeymoon, she busted his balls for being a stubborn moron. But with her family, she can't make a simple phone call to see if her dad is really sick. If it were Eddie or Richie, Seth would drive over and drag their ass either to the doctor or back to his place.  
   
He wonders if Jacob didn't show up because of him. The experiment has been stressful for everyone involved. It takes every difficult part of a relationship and pushes it to happen at the same time. It is exhausting. Living so far away, Jacob hasn't really had a chance to see him and Kate together. Maybe the Fullers need to spend some time together?  
   
Shit. He realises that he's thinking about making plans with Kate's family. What the fuck is happening to him?  
   
Kate puts on a happy face for the rest of the party. No one seems to notice that she's a little off because they're too busy being competitive over a game of Pictionary. They all really seem to be having fun. He thinks about what Richie said earlier. And fuck, who is he kidding. If there's anyone he would try with, it's Kate.  
   
He catches Scott as he heads out and tells him about his plan to drive to Bethel with Kate over the weekend so they can all spend some time with Jacob. Scott agrees rather easily. Seth was expecting greater resistance, but Scott seems almost nonchalant.  
   
"Hey," he asks Scott. "Are you really okay with me and your sister?"  
   
"Yeah, I guess. Why?" Scott asks simply.  
   
"You can't tell me that I'm what you expected."  
   
"Yeah, so?"  
   
Scott stares back at him with a straight, blank expression - like Seth doesn't need further elaboration. Dealing with him sometimes feels like trying to pull teeth.  
   
"I realised that you're a total dork," Scott finally adds. "Just like Kate."  
   
"A wha..." Seth starts. "I am not a dork."  
   
"Dude. You have a secret handshake with Richie. You call yourselves 'The Gecko Brothers'. You reference movies made before you were born."  
   
"So, does Kate," Seth retorts.  
   
"Yeah, she's a total dork too. That's why she's your match, right?"  
   
"She's the dork," he mumbles. This conversation is not going as planned. Why can't the Fullers do what he needs them to do?  
   
"Whatever, man. Kate can make her own decisions. I think I get why she seems to like you. I didn't get it before, but I do now."  
   
Seth is stumped. Has everyone gone crazy?  
   
"This thing you wanna do, driving up to Bethel," Scott starts, getting into the driver's seat of his car. "It's nice. You're nice to her and she seems happy. I only want her to be happy."  
   
Jess, Eddie, and Richie stay until very late, with Richie being the last to leave. He helps them clean up, teasing and laughing with Kate. He knows they text each other but since when do they have inside jokes? Richie notices his discomfort and when he leaves, he gives Seth a hug and whispers, "I was just teasing earlier. Your wife only has eyes for you, you stupid dork."  
   
They're busy locking up and getting ready for bed when he's finally alone with Kate. He should ask her about Jacob or even tell her about his plan with Scott. "What was your first impression of me?" he asks instead.  
   
"Uhm. I was a little scared, I think," she says, changing into her pyjamas. "You have a very intimidating presence."  
   
"So, not a dork?"  
   
"A dork?" she asks with a laugh. "No. Why a dork?"  
   
"Do you think you're a dork?"  
   
"No, Seth. Of course not. What are you on about?"  
   
"Something Scott and Richie said. Don't worry about it," he says dismissively. Obviously, he can't trust her judgement. Does she even know what a dork looks like?  
   
"What were you and Scott talking about, before he left?" she asks. "I saw you follow him out."  
   
"I, err, was gonna tell you about it later. I was thinking that we could drive up to Bethel over the weekend. And I wanted to see if he could help set it up."  
   
"You did what?" she asks, stunned.  
   
"Yeah, I thought that we could spend time with Jacob and check in on him. Your dad could see that he has nothing to worry about."  
   
"You had no right to do that, Seth," she yells.  
   
"Why not?" He can't understand why she's annoyed with him. He did a nice thing for her, but she’s not happy about it.  
   
"And you had no right to involve Scott in this," she continues.  
   
He feels himself start to get annoyed. "I was trying to help you, Kate," he states. "You wouldn't call your dad, and it's obvious that his opinion means a lot to you. Don't pretend it doesn't. And Scott's your brother. So, of course he's involved."  
   
"Seth, what happens in my life, with my family is not for you to decide. I make my own decisions."  
   
"Do you, Princess?"  
   
"What does that mean?"  
   
"I've seen you go out of your way to accommodate everyone else around you, and you just accept whatever decision they make," he says, making his way slowly towards her on the other side of the bed. "It's like you're settling for a life that just happened to you. Christ, you couldn't even make a phone call to your dad earlier because you didn't want to upset him."  
   
"I do not just let life happen to me," she says, turning towards him.  
   
"Kate, since I got here, every decision you've made is based on what I want. You offered to move us into my and Richie's apartment even though you'd have to drive another hour to get to work. All the groceries you buy are to my taste. Hell, every dish today is someone else's favourite."  
   
"That's small things, Seth. Good Lord. That doesn't mean anything."  
   
"You go through one bad break up and then decide to let 'experts' decide your love life."  
   
"That's not what..." she stutters. "Well, then. What's your excuse?"  
   
"I'm a bitter divorcée and an asshole."  
   
"Yeah, I noticed," she deadpans.  
   
"Aren't you scared you'll wake up one day and realise you're living someone else's life?"  
   
"Oh please, Seth. You're being dramatic."  
   
He takes another step towards her. "This life doesn't give you anything, Kate."  
   
She rolls her eyes dramatically.  
   
"You have to take what you want. If you want your dad to be a part of your life, then do what you need to make it happen,” he says, grabbing her arm so he's looking at her dead in the eye.  
   
"God. Of course that's what you think this is. Things always have to go your way. It's always what Seth Gecko wants."  
   
"Now hold on just a minute there..." he starts.  
   
"That's what Richie says, anyway."  
   
"I'm sorry. What were you and my brother saying about me?"  
   
"That's funny," she mocks. "You can make plans with Scott without telling me but I can't have a conversation with Richie?"  
   
"I was going to tell you. Jesus, Kate. I'm sorry for trying to help."  
   
"He says you only ever say 'sorry' sarcastically."  
   
"Yeah? Did he also tell you that he wanted me to try harder with you? Where do you think I got the dumb idea to talk to Scott, anyway?" he asks.  
   
She stares blankly at him. He sees her shoulders soften. She's clearly stunned at his admission. He realises they're standing close together, basically toe to toe.  
   
"Look, I can call Scott to cancel if you want," he finally says, while turning away from her because he can’t stand so close to her anymore.  
   
"It's fine, Seth," she says softly, walking past him to get to the bathroom. "Leave it. I'll speak to Scott."  
   
He nods in response even though she can't see him. He should've known that actually trying would blow up in his face. Just because everyone else thinks that they make a good match, doesn't make it true. He feels like such a fucking moron for listening to Richie. He grabs his pillow from the bed and grabs the extra blanket. He needs to be alone to think.  
   
"Aren't you coming to bed?" Kate asks when he turns to leave the bedroom.  
   
"I thought you'd want your space tonight. I can take the couch." He waits for her to nod before leaving.  
   
Seth tosses and turns on the couch. It's been hours since he called it a night and he hasn't slept a wink. He tries his best to get comfortable enough to fall asleep, but the day’s events keep replaying in his head. Makes sense - the moment he decides to try with Kate is when he fucks it up. She should've just kicked him out and let him leave with some dignity intact.  
   
He hears Kate before he sees her. She does this annoying thing when she wears slippers, where she drags her feet on the ground. It's been driving him nuts the entire week. But hearing it now, it's shear relief.  
   
He sits up and drapes his blanket over her as she sits next to him on the couch. He waits for what feels like hours for her to talk.  
   
"You know, I only started talking to Richie because I don't know how to talk to you sometimes."  
   
"You talk to me," he says indignantly. They talk all the time.  
   
"Sometimes. Other times I stay silent because I don't know how you'll react."  
   
"How I'll react?"  
   
"Please don't get upset. You know that you're a hot-head."  
   
"A hot-head?" He knows that he's basically repeating everything she says back to her, but he doesn't understand what she's on about.  
   
"Seth, come on. That incident with Sex-Machine!"  
   
"I'm sorry, Sex Machine?"  
   
"The weirdo at the store,” she replies. “He called himself Sex-Machine."  
   
"Urgh," he groans. "Just when I thought that creep couldn't get any worse."  
   
"When you saw us at the checkout, you were going to beat him up and cause a scene, weren't you?  
   
"I was..."  
   
She looks at him sternly, and he knows she sees through him. Why lie?  
   
"Yeah, fine. But he had his hands all over you."  
   
"I was handling it, Seth."  
   
"You don't know that."  
   
"I was and I did," she answers, curtly.  
   
"He could've been dangerous, Kate."  
   
"Then you call security," she says, clearly getting upset again. "You can't go around beating up people and getting arrested. I don't really want to bail my husband out of jail."  
   
"Yeah? Well. Maybe then I'm not the right husband for you."  
   
She's quiet for a while before finally asking, "Is that what you really think?"  
   
He didn't mean to say that. Not really. But he's still angry from earlier and her new accusations are only pissing him off. He did nothing wrong.  
   
He wants to tell her everything:  
   
'You're too good for me.'  
   
'I'll only ruin you'.  
   
It would be so easy to walk away. She's giving him an easy way out - no hard feelings. But she's batting her Bambi lashes and looking vulnerable. He honestly can't bear the thought of leaving her.  
   
He shakes his head definitively as he says, "No." He barely catches her smile before she leans into him and wraps her arms around his waist.  
   
"You need to talk to me before making decisions that affect the both of us," she mutters into his collarbone.  
   
His hand automatically goes to her hair. He strokes it lightly and says, "I'm sorry about Scott. I didn't mean to..."  
   
"You were trying to help," she interrupts. "It's just..."  
   
"It's your family, Kate. I get it. Whatever you want, okay?"  
   
"Thank you," she says, pulling away from him. "Can we go to bed now?" she asks, hand extended to him.  
   
He hesitates and says, "The couch isn't that bad."  
   
"You're being silly. We had a fight. You don't just leave after one fight. Come on."  
   
"If that's what you want, Princess," he says, taking her hand and following her into the bedroom.  
   
He climbs into bed with her and lays there awkwardly, staring at the ceiling. Kate fidgets next to him as she tries to get comfortable. From the corner of his eye, he sees Kate turn towards him and roll her eyes.  
   
In the silence, Kate asks softly, "When you used to fight with Vanessa, did you leave if things didn't get resolved?"  
   
"Not if we had sex first," he jokes.  
   
"You're an idiot," she mumbles, shaking her head and rolling over to face away from him.  
   
"Hey," he says, grabbing her arm so she can turn back towards him. "That's not... Look. It didn't work with Vanessa, okay. We didn't exactly have healthy relationship strategies."  
   
"I like you, Seth. If you really want to try to make this work, you can't leave when we fight and things get hard, okay?"  
   
There's an opening in the bedroom curtain that allows the moonlight to shine on Kate. He can see the streaks of red in her hair and the bright green of her eyes. He brushes back some of her hair behind her ear and rests his palm against her cheek. She's waiting patiently for him to respond, smiling softly at him as he caresses her cheek.  
   
He thinks about leaving Kate and not waking up next to her in the morning, and his fucking heart feels heavy. It's only been a few weeks with her and she’s already found a way under his skin. In another lifetime where he's not a criminal, he would steal her away and keep her around forever. If Richie's right, and they get through this job successfully, then maybe he'll get to keep her for real.  
   
"Yeah, Princess. I'll keep fighting with you as long as you'll have me. I promise." He pulls her closer towards him and wraps his arm around her. Tonight, he doesn't wait until she starts running her lips along his collarbone, before he starts kissing her.


	4. Family Day

"Cassie could be captain if she applied herself."

"'Applied herself?' You're starting to sound like Richie."

"Don't say that like it's a bad thing," Kate chastises and elbows him in the side.

Seth scoffs while he takes the sodas and snacks from Kate and walks over to the register to pay. They've been up basically since the crack of dawn, and this is their last pitstop before the final haul to Bethel for the great Fuller family day of fun. A whole day where he gets to play the part of perfect husband with Pastor Fuller and the rest of Kate's family and friends. Seth's great idea to make nice with Kate's family. 

Making friends and playing nice. This is his life now. Does he ask for a lobotomy now or later? 

Then Kate steps up behind him, pinches his ass and disappears down the aisle like a thief in the night. He watches Kate flip her hair like a shampoo model and give him a sexy wink. 

Fuck. Who is he kidding? As long as Kate wants him to stick around, he's not going anywhere. Experts and science say that he and Kate should be together - he can't fight science. He needs to put on his big boy pants and show Jacob that he cares about Kate. That should be easy enough. Seth already knows he'll do whatever he needs to protect her. 

Seth turns back to the counter and catches the store clerk getting an eye-full of Kate.

"Eyes on the goods, Fabio."

The store clerk reject mumbles something like, "Whatever, boss" as he shifts his beady eyes to Seth and quickly back to the task at hand. "And it's Pete," he clarifies with a cough, smugly tapping the name tag on his shirt. He rolls his eyes and scoffs. 'Pete' is lucky he's learnt not to pummel every dipshit with the hots for Kate. He's a man reborn - one beige cardigan away from being a goddamn Stepford Husband. 

Seth distracts himself by checking his phone for messages from Richie. There's jack shit, has been this way for days. Richie and his so-called crew are supposed to be stealing the amulet any day now and his brother's stuck to his plan of radio silence until the job is over. Eddie says everything is fine and Richie's being his egg-head self. But Seth is coming out of his skin. What if Richie forgets something important? What if things don't go according to plan and Richie can't adapt? He can't shake this feeling that something bigger is at play here.

"Can you add these?" Kate asks, dropping a bag of sour worms on the counter, as she slides next to him. 

"Sure thing, darlin'," Pete says, giving Kate a wink and smirking broadly.

"Err, okay, Fabio" Kate answers awkwardly. 

Seth smiles. Every day she picks up more of his vocabulary and mannerisms. 

He grabs the bags and his change and follows Kate out to the parking lot. They head over to the TV crew, who have been trailing behind them on the road trip to Bethel. They've set up a little spot in the corner of the lot to do a quick interview before they hit the road again. 

After weeks of these interviews, he and Kate know exactly what the producers want from them. It used to be countless reshoots, voice-overs, and finding new ways to talk about his feelings. Now, twenty minutes flat, and they're ready to pack up and head to Bethel. 

"Your wedding photos are being delivered this week. We need to coordinate schedules." Ximena surprises them both with a big smile, actually looking up from her phone for once.

"Let's compare iCal's."

Kate elbows him in his waist and Ximena continues as if he never said anything.

"Lalo sent me some samples. I can't show you; you know. We have to keep the suspense for the show. But, trust me. It looks good." 

Seth would roll his eyes if Kate wasn't so excited about finally seeing their wedding photos. She's giddy, smiling brightly, and tugging on his sleeve like a hyperactive kid on a sugar high. 

"Okay, okay. Easy, Road Runner," he says as he wraps his arm around her and waits for her to settle. 

"Come on, Seth. Stop being a buzzkill. It's our wedding photos."

He pulls her in closer and whispers into her ear, "Why get excited about photos when I have the real thing in front of me?" He gives her a quick kiss below her ear and Kate squeals in response. 

Kate shoves him off of her and punches his bicep. "You're lucky you're charming, Mr. Gecko."

"Charming doesn't save me from getting injured," he teases, rubbing his bicep and feigning an injury.

"You want me to kiss it better?"

"Please stop," Ximena interrupts. "You're disgustingly cute. Save it for the camera." 

Seth forgot she was there to begin with. 

Kate starts apologising - she's not completely comfortable with heavy PDA and Seth goes overboard when he's around her. He can't help pushing her boundaries and seeing how far she'll let them go with people around. But then Ximena's phone rings and she has to excuse herself to take the call.

"You have to behave yourself when we're in public," she tries to chastise him.

"You were the one talking about kissing it better." 

God, he loves the sight of her when he makes her blush. It's times like these when he forgets why he's held off taking her to bed for so long. He says it's for her. That he needs time to prove himself to her. But more days go by, and he becomes surer that he's never going to do anything to harm Kate Fuller. So, why prolong the inevitable?

"Okay, but at least tone it down when we get to my dad's."

"Sure thing, Princess."

They're interrupted by Ximena cursing in Spanish on the phone. She hangs up and storms over to them, eyes glued to her screen as she types furiously. "I have to get back." 

Freddie's already jogging over to check out the commotion. "You alright, boss?" 

"Freddie, good. You will have to handle things from here. Something has happened. I have to get back." 

"Good luck," Kate calls after her. 

"We should probably pack it up and head out too," Freddie says to them as they watch Ximena hurry to her SUV, still cursing with someone on the phone. "You love birds ready?"

They help the crew pack everything up. The theories around why Ximena left so suddenly are flying around. 

Seth has an eerie feeling that maybe it's Richie. He's finally got his shit together and he's going after the amulet. Then this charade with Kate can be over and they can just be a couple. For real. No more bullshit and deception.

Thank fuck. 

Making their way back to the car, Seth sends a quick text to Richie. If it's finally over, he needs to know.

"Hey," Kate says, grabbing his hand and slowing their pace. "You're checking your phone again. Is everything okay?" 

For a second, he considers lying to her, but chickens out. "You haven't heard from Richie today, have you?" he asks instead. He may as well use their connection to his advantage.

"Today? No. Why? Is everything okay?" She slides her hand down his arm and tugs his hand before threading her fingers through his. "Talk to me." She's running her thumb over the palm of his hand and looking at him with genuine concern. She already cares so much about Richie. 

"He's probably busy with this project," he says eventually.

"The secret project that you're not allowed to be a part of and Richie says is driving you crazy?"

"He told you about that, huh?" Seth asks. He’s surprised. He knows that Richie is fond of Kate, but it still surprises him just how much he tells her. 

"Not much. No details or anything. He just wanted me to look out if you were more on edge."

"Yeah? And what did you tell him?"

"That you get a little distracted, but that I've got you." Kate tugs at his hand up towards her and kisses his palm lightly. "He's nervous too, you know. He really wants this to go perfectly and he says they've had some hiccups. He only wants you to be proud of him."

"That's stupid. Of course, I'm proud of him."

"Richie will be fine. Trust your brother."

"Now, you're starting to sound like Eddie."

"There's an idea. Why don't I drive and you can call Eddie in the car?"

"You wanna..."

"Don't give me that look," Kate interrupts. "We're like an hour away from my dad's place. Your car will be fine. Now gimme." She fishes the car keys from his pocket and struts over to the car without further discussion. 

He does text Eddie and gets a cryptic emoji in response. It tells him nothing, but at least it's a reply. That's more than he's gotten from Richie in days. He can't chance an actual phone call - the TV crew has a dashcam set up to record scenes of them driving, for the show. Kate's hand finds his and it gets him to focus on her. She's stroking his knuckles when she says, "Don't be nervous for my dad." She gives him a wink, and he knows that she's actually talking about Richie. 

The rest of the drive is him and Kate arguing about the playlist. It's stupid and juvenile and they're riling each other up on purpose. Before he knows it, Kate is pulling into the driveway of her family home in Bethel. 

"Kate!" Jacob calls from the porch and Kate's eyes light up and her smile grows to blinding.

He's barely outside of the car and Freddie's already ordering people around and asking them to wait for the cameras to be set up to film the greeting. 

"Don't look so scared, Gecko," he whispers as he passes by Seth.

"Blow me, Lone Ranger."

Freddie chuckles as he walks up to greet Jacob and get the final camera in place. 

He watches Kate leap into Jacob's arms and Seth feels bad that Kate doesn't get to spend more time with her family. At least they're here now and talking. 

It's awkward handshakes and painfully pleasant small talk, while they unpack the car and get everyone into the house. Kate's friend, Jessica, and her boyfriend Aaron are waiting inside with balloons and too much energy for this time of the morning. They take them out to the deck at the back, where Jacob has a whole spread prepared. It's so much food, too many people, and too many cameras around. Kate's quickly removed from his side to catch-up with everyone. The TV crew is too busy trying to get good shots, so Seth is stuck making painful small talk with Jacob.

"I made your favourites, Katie-Cakes!" 

"Yeah, Dad's been up since like 4." Scott strolls out to the back, still in pyjamas. He nods at Seth in greeting and hugs Kate hello. Seth's never been happier to see Scott. His laid-back, apathetic attitude is familiar at least. 

"Seth, you have to try my dad's buttermilk pancakes. You'll never go back to the easy-mix ones again." Kate leads him to sit next to her at the table. Without prompting, she's already dishing him a plate of pancakes while he pours her a glass of OJ.

Kate scratches at the base of his neck to get his attention. "These are good pancakes, Katie-Cakes," he teases. 

"Careful with the nicknames, Mister," she says as she pinches his thigh. "I know where you sleep at night." 

The brunch turns out to be more enjoyable than he expects. They take the time in the conversation to fill him and Aaron in on all the inside jokes they share. The conversation moves quickly and easily. Everyone has a chance to contribute. A few of Jacob's neighbours pop in to say hi to Kate and give him the once over. Mrs. Turner, from across the road, spends far too much time either pinching or slapping his cheeks, before Kate saves him by saying they need to clean up and start prepping for the barbeque this afternoon.

It's amazing to watch Kate in her element. He's never seen her this carefree and full of joy. It's like he's a voyeur - a fly on the wall of a family scene from one of those shows he and Richie used to watch as kids. 

\---

Seth is trying his best to make small talk with Jacob, grill up some steaks, and provide necessary entertainment for the TV crew and the obligatory cameras on them. They purposefully separated him from Kate, to get some footage of them talking about their relationship with other people. He fucking hates it. 

Freddie tries to prompt the conversation, asking pointed questions about their feelings. It only makes Jacob more anxious and closed up, which Seth is sure will make Jacob hate him more. Seth convinces Freddie and crew to take a load off. Jacob visibly relaxes, but the atmosphere of awkward between them grows. 

"The cameras sort of fade into the background after a while," Seth says while he tries to look around for Scott or anyone to serve as a buffer.

"Can't imagine I would ever be comfortable with my life on display."

"Not everything is on display," Seth tries to explain. "They're very discrete. They give me and Kate a lot of time alone."

Jacob coughs uncomfortably and really focuses on the grill.

"Not that alone. I mean, we are alone but not like that."

"Seth, my daughter is a grown woman, who has made up her own mind about the path her life is taking."

He can't argue with that. If Pastor Fuller had his way, he and Kate would never had met. But he hates the idea that anyone thinks poorly of Kate. Especially her family. 

"Kate cares a lot about you and what you think... About us. She knows you're not happy with her... recent decisions."

"Son, I do appreciate your concern for my daughter. My relationship with Kate is a family matter. It's none of your business."

"With all due respect, Jacob. It became my business when I found Kate crying because she thought you faked an illness to get out of spending time with us."

"I was not faking, Seth. I have genuinely been unwell."

"Then talk to her. Tell her that. Kate would want to be there for you."

"I know how special my daughter is, Seth."

"You should tell her that once in a while. Because for some reason, she feels like she's disappointing you."

It looks like the TV crew are heading back. 

"I've never met anyone like your daughter, Jacob. I count myself a lucky bastard for getting to spend any amount of time with her. And I know that a lot of that has to do with how you raised her, so thank you."

Jacob just nods and Seth feels like an idiot. Is Kate the only Fuller who learnt to carry a conversation with others?

"Seth,” Jacob eventually says. “Are you sincere about your intentions with my daughter? You still don't strike me as a family man."

"As long as I'm alive, Jacob, I'll never let anyone hurt your daughter."

Jacob extends his hand to Seth. "It better stay that way, son." From the look on his face, Seth believes him.

Seth takes his hand and shakes. "You have my word."

"Did I miss a touching moment?" Freddie interrupts. "Can you repeat all that for the camera?" 

"Jacob, I have to apologise for my friend, Ranger Gonzalez, here. He was raised by wolves."

"Eat me, Gecko. You know I have to get shots of the two of you."

"Not with that language, young man." Jacob sounds like he's chastising Freddie, but he throws a wink at Seth. 

Maybe there's hope for him and Jacob after all.

\--

Seth, Jacob and Scott film a few scenes at the grill. He manages through most of their questions. Scott throws the biggest curveball with ‘Do you want kids? Because Kate wants a bunch’. Luckily, Jacob saves him with ‘There's no need to rush. You just focus on taking care of my daughter’. 

The Fuller household starts filling up as more friends and neighbours arrive. They all want to meet him, tell him how lucky he is to be married to Kate, and warn him of the repercussions if he ever hurts her. Seth is three beers down and itching for more. He's reached his quota for small talk and smiling.

"Why don't you take some of the meat to the kitchen and freshen up for dinner. Scott and I will finish up here." Jacob hands Seth a container of cooked meat and leans in to whisper, "Kate should be somewhere in the house." 

He's grateful he gets to escape and hide from all the people. He drops the container on the kitchen table and tries to sneak past all the guests to find Kate. He ducks into the hallway bathroom when he hears Mrs Turner approaching from the other room. God, he hasn't had to hide in a bathroom since Richie brought home a girl on a day that he stayed home to ditch school. He opens the window to let some fresh air in. He's not taking chances by walking out early. That's when he hears Jessica.

"...but like, he's so hot, Kate."

"You should see him shirtless."

Kate and Jess must be in Kate's bedroom. He hears what sounds like a wardrobe door opening or closing. Maybe they're getting changed before dinner. He should leave and definitely not eavesdrop on a private conversation about him. Or maybe that's okay? If it moves to something else - Jess and her new boyfriend - then he'll leave.

"Oh God. Did he bring a swimsuit? Can we convince him to spend an hour at the pool?"

"We don't have pool, Jess. And why would I let you perv over Seth?"

"Have some sympathy. I love Aaron, but give me an hour in a locked room with Seth..."

"Wait, you love him?"

"Don't change the subject, Sneaky. We're in person now. Are you finally gonna tell me why you and hubby haven't bumped uglies?"

Obviously, Kate speaks to Jess. Obviously, Jess knows they haven't had sex yet. Maybe he should disturb their private time so they never get to have this conversation. He's not sure he likes the thought of Jess having an opinion about their sex life.

"We're adults now, Jess. You can call it 'sex'."

"Fine, 'sex'. Sexual intercourse. Coitus. Whatever. Why haven't you and Seth had sex?"

"Because, okay..." Kate starts. He inches closer to the window in case he misses anything. "I don't think he's ready."

He can almost picture the shocked look on Jessica's face. 

"I'm sorry? He's not ready? He's basically Mr Sex on a pair of legs."

"He says that he wants us to be sure. I think it's endearing."

"Endearing? Oh please, I know you're not a prude and I can see that you want a piece. Besides, the last time you got some was with Rafa and that was so long ago. Our cells have all reproduced. We’re basically different people now."

"Why is everyone in my life so dramatic?"

The sound of a series of soft thuds sounds like they're throwing pillows at each other. 

"Katie, I love you. But this is a little weird. You clearly like each other. He is here visiting your family. I don't know what you're waiting for."

"I don't know what to tell you, Jess. He doesn't trust people easily. It's taken him a long time to open up to me. Not completely. And I get it, you know. It's only been a few weeks. I'm not going to force this, if he's not ready."

Shit. How can Kate think he doesn't trust her? 

"Kate, come on. That's nuts. There's no person more trusting. If Seth doesn't realise that, he will."

"Thanks, Jess."

"I'm serious. There's a greater chance he's like gay or something."

"I don't think so. We've gotten frisky."

"Who still says frisky?"

"I hate you."

"You love me. Green card marriage?"

"The show would've checked that."

"Well, you're not the problem. That I know for sure. Men are stupid anyway. Especially the hot ones. Give it some time, Kate. He'd be nuts not to fall romcom level in love with you."

"I love you, Moon Pie."

"Love you too, Boo. Now, let's go find that husband of yours and find a way to get him topless."

Seth hears a shuffling of feet and the sound of doors closing. They must have left Kate's room. He knew that eavesdropping on that conversation was a mistake. He only fucking hopes that the cameras didn't catch any of that. At least Jessica seems like a good influence on Kate. 

He has to make a smooth exit out the bathroom without anyone seeing him. He tries to hear for footsteps in the passage. 

The door handle starts to turn. Luckily, he locked it. But it's followed by a knock and the sound of Mrs. Turner's voice. 

Oh, for fuck's sake.

\--

"I'm so tired. Can we just sleep in the car?" Kate stretches and yawns in the passenger seat as he pulls up to her apartment. They didn't stay late in Bethel because of their long drive, but they still get back pretty late. The farewells took an hour, because every single guest had to give them personalised goodbyes.

The rest of their visit wasn't terrible. He and Jacob seem to have reached an amicable truce. But Seth kept coming back to Kate's conversation with Jessica or thinking about he still hasn't heard from Richie.

Kate reaches over and plays with the hair at the base of his neck. "Hey, Johnny Bravo. You want to show off those muscles and carry me into bed?" 

"Still with Johnny Bravo?"

"Unless you're not strong enough to do it..." she trails off, while twirling her finger in her hair and biting her lower lip. She can't keep a poker face and immediately starts laughing. "Come on, Mister. Let's get to bed." She gets out of the car and starts unpacking the boot.

It's still unsettling to him that Kate thinks he doesn't trust her. 

"It's good to be home," he says, asks, as they finally make it into her apartment.

"Would you hate me if I..." Kate starts, before coming to a standstill.

"What is it? What happened, Kate?" Did they forget something in Bethel? 

"I think that's the first time you called my apartment 'home'." She's looking at him expectantly and he doesn't know what he's supposed to say to that. "Don't looked so stressed. I want you to think that. This is a good thing, right?"

"Kate, I..." He doesn't know how to tell her how much he cares about her. So, he pulls her in and kisses her firmly.

Kate seems stunned at first, but quickly regains her confidence and wraps her arms around his neck. She kisses him soundly. He loses track of how long they're kissing and groping. His fingers find the skirt of the sundress she wore today and he starts caressing the soft skin he finds there.

"Seth," she moans as she breaks away from their kiss.

He's been a dumbass waiting this long. He should have some condoms stashed somewhere. 

"You wanna move this to the bedroom or are you still tired, Sweetheart?" He runs his hands up her legs and squeezes her ass. 

"What has gotten into you?"

"Kate, I..." he starts again. He can feel his heart beating in his throat. He removes his hands from under her dress, runs his fingers up her arms until he's cupping her chin and caressing her face. "Kate, I've never met anyone like you."

"Did something happen today?" Kate asks, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know where this is coming from." 

"No, listen." He pulls her closer and places his forehead on hers. "I'm never gonna let anyone hurt you. And if you'd let me, I wanna be around for the long-haul."

"I like you too, Seth." Her eyebrows are furrowed and she's trying to stop herself from smiling. She thinks he's teasing her. Clearly, words aren't going to work here - he needs to show her how he feels.

He lifts her right hand and kisses her knuckles. "Let's go to bed?" he asks, as he slowly walks them to the bedroom. 

He pulls Kate towards him and kisses the confused pout of her lips. He turns them so he can lower her onto the bed. He kisses below her ear, at the crook of her neck, nips at her clavicle and runs his lips back up her throat to meet her lips.

"Seth, are you sure about this?" Kate asks, as he shifts to remove his shirt. 

He leans over, his arms boxing her in. "I've never been surer of anything, Kate."

Kate smiles softly as she sits up to get closer to him. "I never want to leave you," she whispers as she threads her fingers through the hair to wrap her arms around his neck. 

Soft kisses quickly turn harder. Kate fingers find his pants zipper and Seth starts unbuttoning Kate's sundress. With so much of Kate's skin revealed, his hands and mouth are everywhere. He's biting at the crook of her neck when Kate flips them over. She rests her hands on his chest and grinds against his crotch.

"Jesus, Kate." He can't help groaning and sounding needy. He manages enough sense to grab her hips and still her motions. "Condoms. We need condoms."

"I have a pack," Kate says as she hops off of the bed and pulls a box of condoms from the drawer in the bedside table. She tosses it to him as she sits back on the bed. It's his go-to brand and size. 

"How did you..."

"I asked Richie," Kate answers before he can finish his question. He's not sure how to react to that. It's one thing for Kate and his brother to talk about him. But their sex life?

"I'm kidding!" Kate exclaims. "Richie and I don't talk about... Just no." She's blushing as scrunches up her face before hiding behind her hands. "I went snooping the last time we went to your old apartment."

"Snooping, hey?" he asks, poking the side of her waist. 

"Don't!" Kate exclaims, pushing his hands away from her. 

He cups his hands under her knees and tugs her towards him. Kate yelps as she falls back onto the bed. He's back on top of her in a heartbeat. He wraps her legs around his waist and grinds against her as he tugs at her earlobe with his teeth.

"Good, Lord," Kate breathes out. 

"You find religion already, Princess?" he whispers into her ear. 

She grabs a handful of his hair at the back of his head, and pulls so she can look him in the eye. "I haven't yet," she says, licking her lips slowly. "You want to help me out with that?" She's biting her bottom lip and smirking at him seductively.

He leans in close to bop her nose with his. He can feel his heart in his throat as he admits to her, with all the sincerity he can muster, "As long as you'll have me."


End file.
